Method and Apparatus for Employing an Indication of Stored Temporary Information During Redirection

ABSTRACT

A method for employing an indication of stored temporary information during redirection may include receiving a temporary stored information indicator from a mobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminal stores a system information container comprising temporary information, and determining whether to replace the temporary information with non-temporary information based on reception of the temporary stored information indicator. Alternatively, the method may include receiving a system information container for at least one target cell, storing the system information container, and generating a temporary stored information indicator at a mobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminal stores the system information container comprising temporary information. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to wirelesscommunication technology and, more particularly, relate to an apparatusand method for employing an indication of stored temporary informationduring redirection.

BACKGROUND

The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansionof wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, televisionnetworks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedentedtechnological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobilenetworking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, whileproviding more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.

Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate easeof information transfer and convenience to users. In order to provideeasier or faster information transfer and convenience, telecommunicationindustry service providers are developing improvements to existingnetworks. For example, the universal mobile telecommunications system(UMTS) terrestrial radio access networks (UTRAN) and the GERAN (GSM/EDGEradio access network) system are currently being developed. The E-UTRAN(evolved UTRAN), which is also known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or3.9G, is aimed at upgrading prior technologies by improving efficiency,lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrumopportunities, and providing better integration with other openstandards.

An advantage of the communication systems currently under development,which continues to be shared with other preceding telecommunicationstandards, is the fact that users are enabled to access a networkemploying such standards while remaining mobile. Thus, for example,users having mobile terminals (or user equipment (UE)) equipped tocommunicate in accordance with such standards may travel vast distanceswhile maintaining communication with the network. By providing access tousers while enabling user mobility, services may be provided to userswhile the users remain mobile.

A basic architecture of a communication system may include a core (e.g.,a third generation (3G) core, an evolved packet core (EPC) or the like)in communication with various nodes (e.g., base stations, access points,node Bs (NBs) or evolved node Bs (eNBs)). Each of the nodes may transmitover an air interface to a particular region or regions defined ascells. The nodes may define corresponding cells in which communicationcoverage is provided by a respective node. As such, a geographical areamay be provided with coverage defined by a plurality of cells. Moreover,given that multiple radio access networks are currently in simultaneoususe, it is possible that cells of different radio access technologies(RATs) may overlap.

System Architecture Evolution (SAE) of the third generation partnershipproject (3GPP) release 8 specifies a packet switched (PS) core networkarchitecture for LTE. By definition, certain circuit switched (CS)services (e.g., voice, short message service (SMS), UDI, etc.) are notavailable in a PS only core network. Accordingly, CS services may onlybe available if a particular terminal (e.g., a UE) moves (or falls back)from the LTE/SAE domain to a CS domain of a legacy RAT (e.g., GERAN orUTRAN) whenever there is an incoming or outgoing CS service indicationsuch as a page, CS service request or the like.

Previously, establishing a CS fallback capability has been defined as asimple procedure of triggering the terminal to move to the legacy RATwhere there is CS domain support in response to a CS service indication.There have been two main RAT change methods proposed including PShandover and redirection. Redirection is a method involves E-UTRANsending a message (e.g., a RRC CONNECTION RELEASE message) withredirection information indicating to which RAT and carrier the terminalis to move. However, it may be desirable to implement redirection in anefficient manner with respect to radio network resources.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present invention are therefore provided thatmay enable efficient implementation of fallback operations. Inparticular, some embodiments of the present invention may provide forthe use of an indicator of temporary stored information to be employedin connection with redirection during fallback scenarios. As such, forexample, the indicator of temporary stored information may be used toenable provision of a reduced or simplified neighbor cell list duringredirection and the neighbor cell list may be updated after redirectionto improve network efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile terminal according to anexample embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communications systemaccording to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a system for employingan indication of stored temporary information during redirectionaccording to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram showing a network side apparatus foremploying an indication of stored temporary information duringredirection according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram showing a terminal side apparatus foremploying an indication of stored temporary information duringredirection according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a control flow diagram showing a basic exchange of messagesaccording to an example embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 7 is a flowchart according to a method of employing an indicationof stored temporary information during redirection according to anexample embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart according to an alternative method of employing anindication of stored temporary information during redirection accordingto an example embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described morefully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichsome, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed,various embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like referencenumerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the terms“data,” “content,” “information” and similar terms may be usedinterchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, receivedand/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit andscope of embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, as used herein, the term ‘circuitry’ refers to (a)hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., implementations in analogcircuitry and/or digital circuitry); (b) combinations of circuits andcomputer program product(s) comprising software and/or firmwareinstructions stored on one or more computer readable memories that worktogether to cause an apparatus to perform one or more functionsdescribed herein; and (c) circuits, such as, for example, amicroprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that requiresoftware or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware isnot physically present. This definition of ‘circuitry’ applies to alluses of this term herein, including in any claims. As a further example,as used herein, the term ‘circuitry’ also includes an implementationcomprising one or more processors and/or portion(s) thereof andaccompanying software and/or firmware. As another example, the term‘circuitry’ as used herein also includes, for example, a basebandintegrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit for amobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellularnetwork device, other network device, and/or other computing device.

As defined herein a “computer-readable storage medium,” which refers toa non-transitory, physical storage medium (e.g., volatile ornon-volatile memory device), can be differentiated from a“computer-readable transmission medium,” which refers to anelectromagnetic signal.

As indicated above, some embodiments of the present invention may relateto the implementation of redirection as a CS fallback option. Duringredirection, the E-UTRAN typically sends a radio resource control (RRC)connection release message that identifies redirection information. Forexample, the redirection information may include a system informationcontainer for system information identifying each of a plurality oftarget cells. The system information container may include systeminformation blocks (SIB) (e.g., SIB 1, 3, 5 and 7) and a neighbor celllist. The neighbor cell list (e.g., SIB 11, 11 bis and/or 12) may beused by a mobile terminal being redirected for selection of a suitablecell to maintain a call or connection. SIB 1, 3, 5 and 7 are typicallyrelatively easy to maintain in E-UTRAN since they are not dynamicallyupdated. However, the neighbor cell list is potentially quite large andis also dynamically updateable since network operators may frequentlychange UTRA cell deployment by adding or removing cells. Moreover, insome examples a cell could have up to ninety-six neighbor cells.

One solution for providing network assisted cell change is referred toas RAN information management (RIM). However, RIM requires a substantialimplementation effort and may not be fully supported and therefore notfully inter-operable. Deferred measurement performed by terminals hasalso been previously suggested. Deferred measurement involves theterminal initiating a RRC connection establishment before acquiringSIB11, 11 bis, or SIB 12, event when one of the SIBs is scheduled on theserving cell. After the initiation of the connection establishment, theterminal continues acquiring SIB11, 11 bis, or SIB 12.

In some embodiments, a temporary neighbor cell list may be providedinitially, and a complete neighbor cell list may then be provided aftercompletion of the redirection procedure. Accordingly, bandwidthconsumption associated with provision of the complete neighbor cell maybe deferred until redirection is complete. Furthermore, some embodimentsof the present invention may also provide for the terminal to store thetemporary neighbor cell initially provided and use the temporaryneighbor cell for a limited period of time. The terminal may thenprovide an indication to the network to indicate that the temporaryneighbor cell list is being stored. The network may then replace thetemporary neighbor cell list with a complete list in response to receiptof the indication. Accordingly, for example, sending the completeneighbor cell list may be avoided except in appropriate situations.

FIG. 1, one example embodiment of the invention, illustrates a blockdiagram of a mobile terminal 10 that would benefit from embodiments ofthe present invention. It should be understood, however, that the mobileterminal 10 as illustrated and hereinafter described is merelyillustrative of one type of device that may benefit from embodiments ofthe present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit thescope of embodiments of the present invention. As such, numerous typesof mobile terminals, such as portable digital assistants (PDAs), mobiletelephones, pagers, mobile televisions, gaming devices, laptopcomputers, cameras, video recorders, audio/video player, radio,positioning devices (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) devices, orany combination of the aforementioned, and other types of voice and textcommunications systems, may readily employ embodiments of the presentinvention.

The mobile terminal 10 may include an antenna 12 (or multiple antennas)in operable communication with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16. Themobile terminal 10 may further include an apparatus, such as acontroller 20 or other processing device, which provides signals to andreceives signals from the transmitter 14 and receiver 16, respectively.The signals include signaling information in accordance with the airinterface standard of the applicable cellular system, and also userspeech, received data and/or user generated data. In this regard, themobile terminal 10 is capable of operating with one or more airinterface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, andaccess types. By way of illustration, the mobile terminal 10 is capableof operating in accordance with any of a number of first, second, thirdand/or fourth-generation communication protocols or the like. Forexample, the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating inaccordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocolsIS-136 (time division multiple access (TDMA)), GSM (global system formobile communication), and IS-95 (code division multiple access (CDMA)),or with third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such asUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, widebandCDMA (WCDMA) and time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), with 3.9Gwireless communication protocol such as E-UTRAN, with fourth-generation(4G) wireless communication protocols or the like. As an alternative (oradditionally), the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating inaccordance with non-cellular communication mechanisms. For example, themobile terminal 10 may be capable of communication in a wireless localarea network (WLAN) or other communication networks described below inconnection with FIG. 2.

In some embodiments, the controller 20 may include circuitry desirablefor implementing audio and logic functions of the mobile terminal 10.For example, the controller 20 may be comprised of a digital signalprocessor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digitalconverters, digital to analog converters, and other support circuits.Control and signal processing functions of the mobile terminal 10 areallocated between these devices according to their respectivecapabilities. The controller 20 thus may also include the functionalityto convolutionally encode and interleave message and data prior tomodulation and transmission. The controller 20 may additionally includean internal voice coder, and may include an internal data modem.Further, the controller 20 may include functionality to operate one ormore software programs, which may be stored in memory. For example, thecontroller 20 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, suchas a conventional Web browser. The connectivity program may then allowthe mobile terminal 10 to transmit and receive Web content, such aslocation-based content and/or other web page content, according to aWireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)and/or the like, for example.

The mobile terminal 10 may also comprise a user interface including anoutput device such as a conventional earphone or speaker 24, a ringer22, a microphone 26, a display 28, and a user input interface, all ofwhich are coupled to the controller 20. The user input interface, whichallows the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, may include any of anumber of devices allowing the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, suchas a keypad 30, a touch display (not shown) or other input device. Inembodiments including the keypad 30, the keypad 30 may include theconventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other hard andsoft keys used for operating the mobile terminal 10. Alternatively, thekeypad 30 may include a conventional QWERTY keypad arrangement. Thekeypad 30 may also include various soft keys with associated functions.In addition, or alternatively, the mobile terminal 10 may include aninterface device such as a joystick or other user input interface. Themobile terminal 10 further includes a battery 34, such as a vibratingbattery pack, for powering various circuits that are required to operatethe mobile terminal 10, as well as optionally providing mechanicalvibration as a detectable output.

The mobile terminal 10 may further include a user identity module (UIM)38. The UIM 38 is typically a memory device having a processor built in.The UIM 38 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM),a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriberidentity module (USIM), a removable user identity module (R-UIM), etc.The UIM 38 typically stores information elements related to a mobilesubscriber. In addition to the UIM 38, the mobile terminal 10 may beequipped with memory. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may includevolatile memory 40, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM)including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The mobileterminal 10 may also include other non-volatile memory 42, which may beembedded and/or may be removable. The memories may store any of a numberof pieces of information, and data, used by the mobile terminal 10 toimplement the functions of the mobile terminal 10. For example, thememories may include an identifier, such as an international mobileequipment identification (IMEI) code, capable of uniquely identifyingthe mobile terminal 10. Furthermore, the memories may store instructionsfor determining cell id information. Specifically, the memories maystore an application program for execution by the controller 20, whichdetermines an identity of the current cell, e.g., cell id identity orcell id information, with which the mobile terminal 10 is incommunication.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communications systemaccording to an example embodiment of the present invention. Referringnow to FIG. 2, an illustration of one type of system that would benefitfrom embodiments of the present invention is provided. As shown in FIG.2, a system in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentinvention includes a communication device (e.g., mobile terminal 10)that may be capable of communication with a network 46. The mobileterminal 10 may be an example of one of several communications devicesof the system that may be able to communicate with network devices orwith each other via the network 46. In some cases, various aspects ofoperation of the network 46 may be managed by one or more networkdevices. As an example, the network 46 may include a network managementsystem 48, which may be involved with (perhaps among other things)performing network management functions. As such, the network managementsystem 48 of an example embodiment may include mobility management andgateway functions as described in greater detail below.

In an example embodiment, the network 46 includes a collection ofvarious different nodes, devices or functions that are capable ofcommunication with each other via corresponding wired and/or wirelessinterfaces. As such, the illustration of FIG. 2 should be understood tobe an example of a broad view of certain elements of the system and notan all inclusive or detailed view of the system or the network 46.Although not necessary, in some embodiments, the network 46 may becapable of supporting communication in accordance with any one or moreof a number of first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G,third-generation (3G), 3.5G, 3.9G, fourth-generation (4G) mobilecommunication protocols, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and/or the like.

One or more communication terminals such as the mobile terminal 10 andother communication devices may be capable of communication with eachother via the network 46 and each may include an antenna or antennas fortransmitting signals to and for receiving signals from a base site,which could be, for example a base station that is a part of one or morecellular or mobile networks or an access point that may be coupled to adata network, such as a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan areanetwork (MAN), and/or a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet.In turn, other devices such as processing devices or elements (e.g.,personal computers, server computers or the like) may be coupled to themobile terminal 10 and the other communication devices via the network46. By directly or indirectly connecting the mobile terminal 10 and theother communication devices to the network 46, the mobile terminal 10and the other communication devices may be enabled to communicate withnetwork devices and/or each other, for example, according to numerouscommunication protocols including WAP, HTTP and/or the like, to therebycarry out various communication or other functions of the mobileterminal 10 and the other communication devices, respectively.

Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 10 maycommunicate in accordance with, for example, radio frequency (RF),Bluetooth (BT), Infrared (IR) or any of a number of different wirelineor wireless communication techniques, including LAN, wireless LAN(WLAN), universal serial bus (USB), Worldwide Interoperability forMicrowave Access (WiMAX), WiFi, ultra-wide band (UWB), Wibree techniquesand/or the like. As such, the mobile terminal 10 may be enabled tocommunicate with the network 46 and other devices by any of numerousdifferent access mechanisms. For example, mobile access mechanisms suchas wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), CDMA2000, globalsystem for mobile communications (GSM), general packet radio service(GPRS) and/or the like may be supported as well as wireless accessmechanisms such as WLAN, WiMAX, and/or the like and fixed accessmechanisms such as digital subscriber line (DSL), cable modems, Ethernetand/or the like.

In an example embodiment, the network management system 48 may be adevice, node or collection of devices and nodes such as a server,computer or other network device. The network management system 48 mayhave any number of functions or associations with various services. Assuch, for example, the network management system 48 may be a platformsuch as a dedicated server (or server bank) associated with a particularinformation source or service (e.g., network management services), orthe network management system 48 may be a backend server associated withone or more other functions or services. As such, the network managementsystem 48 represents a potential host for a plurality of differentnetwork management services. In some embodiments, the functionality ofthe network management system 48 is provided by hardware and/or softwarecomponents configured to operate in accordance with known techniques forthe provision of network management services to the network 46. However,at least some of the functionality provided by the network managementsystem 48 is may be provided in accordance with example embodiments ofthe present invention.

An example embodiment of the invention will now be described withreference to FIG. 3, in which certain elements of a system for employingan indication of stored temporary information during redirection aredisplayed. The system of FIG. 3 represents a specific embodiment of anetwork such as the general network displayed in FIG. 2, except thatFIG. 3 represents a general block diagram of an E-UTRAN and some otherlegacy RAT that may be involved in providing fallback options (e.g., forCS fallback). As such, in connection with FIG. 3, user equipment (UE) 50may be example of one embodiment of the mobile terminal 10 of FIGS. 1and 2, and eNBs (E-UTRAN node Bs) 52 and 53 may be examples of basestations or access points that may serve respective cells or areaswithin the network 30 to, together with other eNBs, NBs, base stationsor access points, define the coverage provided by the network 46 for useby mobile users. However, it should be noted that the system of FIG. 3,may also be employed in connection with a variety of other devices, bothmobile and fixed, and therefore, embodiments of the present inventionshould not be limited to application on devices such as the mobileterminal 10 of FIG. 1 or the network devices of FIGS. 2 and 3. MoreoverFIG. 3, which illustrates E-UTRAN components and other legacy RATs,should be understood to be just an example of one type of architecturewith which embodiments of the present invention may be employed.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the system includes an E-UTRAN 56 which mayinclude, among other things, a plurality of node-Bs in communicationwith an evolved packet core (EPC) 58 which may include one or moremobility management entities (MMEs) and one or more system architectureevolution (SAE) gateways. The node-Bs may be E-UTRAN node-Bs (e.g., eNB52 and eNB 53) and may also be in communication with the UE 50 and otherUEs. The E-UTRAN 56 may be in communication with the EPC 58. In anexample embodiment, the network management system 48 of FIG. 2 may be anexample of a device or collection of devices within the EPC 58 and/orwithin a legacy RAT node 55 that may be configured to employ an exampleembodiment of the present invention.

The eNBs 52 and 53 may provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane(radio resource control (RRC)) protocol terminations for the UE 50. TheeNBs 52 and 53 may provide functionality hosting for such functions asradio resource management, radio bearer control, radio admissioncontrol, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources toUEs in both uplink and downlink, selection of an MME at UE attachment,IP header compression and encryption, scheduling of paging and broadcastinformation, routing of data, measurement and measurement reporting forconfiguration mobility, and the like.

The MME may host functions such as distribution of messages torespective node-Bs, security control, idle state mobility control, EPS(Evolved Packet System) bearer control, ciphering and integrityprotection of (non access stratum) NAS signaling, and the like. The SAEgateway may host functions such as termination and switching of certainpackets for paging and support of UE mobility. In an example embodiment,the EPC 58 may provide connection to a network such as the Internet.

As shown in FIG. 3, the UE 50 may also be capable of communication witha legacy core 54 via a legacy RAT node 55 (e.g., an access point, nodeor base station associated with a legacy RAT, for example Radio NetworkControl—RNC or Node B). In an example embodiment, the legacy RAT may beassumed to be a CS domain RAT. As such, for example, if the UE 50 is incommunication with one of the eNBs 52 and 53 of the EPS and a CS serviceindication is detected (e.g., an incoming or outgoing CS serviceindication such as a page, CS service request or the like), the UE 50may be enabled to conduct a handover (e.g., a PS handover) or beredirected to the CS domain by switching to communication with thelegacy RAT node 55. Thus, the UE 50 may be enabled to utilize a CSfallback capability by switching to communication with the legacy RATnode 55 to respond to service indications that are not related to LTEservices.

In an example embodiment, redirection may be implemented in the contextdescribed above, or even in other contexts, in an environment in whichthe network (e.g., via the network management system 48) providestemporary information (e.g., a temporary neighbor cell list) to the UE50 for use in connection with implementation of redirection. The UE 50may use the temporary information until a certain point (e.g., until aconnection is established with a target RAT such as via the legacy RATnode 55 from the eNB 53 of FIG. 3) and then the UE 50 may inform thenetwork that the UE 50 is storing the temporary information afterreaching the certain point. In an example embodiment, the informing thatthe UE 50 provides to the network may be accomplished via a temporarystored information indicator (e.g., a flag or one bit field in uplinksignaling). In response to receipt of the temporary stored informationindicator, which indicates to the network that the UE 50 is storingtemporary information such as the temporary neighbor cell list, thenetwork may decide whether to trigger replacement of the temporaryinformation with non-temporary information (e.g., a complete neighborlist) and/or the network may decide whether to trigger UE to move intoCELL_DCH state or CELL_FACH state during a RRC connection establishmentprocedure based on the indicator. Accordingly, the network can avoidimplementing RIM or other mechanisms for network assisted cell changethat may require larger implementation efforts and the UE 50 can avoidusing a deferred measurement feature.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram view of one example of an apparatusconfigured to perform example embodiments of the present invention. Inthis regard, for example, an apparatus for employing an indication ofstored temporary information during redirection according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention may be embodied as or otherwiseemployed, for example, on an apparatus of the network (e.g., the networkmanagement system 48, a device within the legacy RAT node 55 or a devicewithin the EPC 58). The apparatus may include or otherwise be incommunication with a processor 70, a communication interface 74 and amemory device 76. The memory device 76 may include, for example, one ormore volatile and/or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example,the memory device 76 may be an electronic storage device (e.g., anon-transitory computer readable storage medium) comprising gatesconfigured to store data (e.g., bits) that may be retrievable by amachine (e.g., a computing device). The memory device 76 may beconfigured to store information, data, applications, instructions or thelike for enabling the apparatus to carry out various functions inaccordance with example embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, the memory device 76 could be configured to buffer input datafor processing by the processor 70. Additionally or alternatively, thememory device 76 could be configured to store instructions for executionby the processor 70.

The processor 70 may be embodied in a number of different ways. Forexample, the processor 70 may be embodied as one or more of variousprocessing means such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller,a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element with or withoutan accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices includingintegrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specificintegrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), amicrocontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purposecomputer chip, processing circuitry, or the like. In an exampleembodiment, the processor 70 may be configured to execute instructionsstored in the memory device 76 or otherwise accessible to the processor70. Alternatively or additionally, the processor 70 may be configured toexecute hard coded functionality. As such, whether configured byhardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processor70 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry)capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the presentinvention while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, when theprocessor 70 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or the like, the processor 70may be specifically configured hardware for conducting the operationsdescribed herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processor70 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructionsmay specifically configure the processor 70 to perform the algorithmsand/or operations described herein when the instructions are executed.However, in some cases, the processor 70 may be a processor of aspecific device (e.g., the mobile terminal 10 or a network device)adapted for employing embodiments of the present invention by furtherconfiguration of the processor 70 by instructions for performing thealgorithms and/or operations described herein. The processor 70 mayinclude, among other things, a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) andlogic gates configured to support operation of the processor 70.

Meanwhile, the communication interface 74 may be any means such as adevice or circuitry embodied in either hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software that is configured to receiveand/or transmit data from/to a network and/or any other device or modulein communication with the apparatus. In this regard, the communicationinterface 74 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas)and supporting hardware and/or software for enabling communications witha wireless communication network. In some environments, thecommunication interface 74 may alternatively or also support wiredcommunication. As such, for example, the communication interface 74 mayinclude a communication modem and/or other hardware/software forsupporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL),universal serial bus (USB) or other mechanisms.

In an example embodiment, the processor 70 may be embodied as, includeor otherwise control a temporary stored information indicator responder80 or an indicator support handler 84. As such, in some embodiments, theprocessor 70 may be said to cause, direct or control the execution oroccurrence of the various functions attributed to the temporary storedinformation indicator responder 80 and the indicator support handler 84as described herein. The temporary stored information indicatorresponder 80 and the indicator support handler 84 may each be any meanssuch as a device or circuitry operating in accordance with software orotherwise embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software(e.g., processor 70 operating under software control, the processor 70embodied as an ASIC or FPGA specifically configured to perform theoperations described herein, or a combination thereof) therebyconfiguring the device or circuitry to perform the correspondingfunctions of the temporary stored information indicator responder 80 andthe indicator support handler 84, respectively, as described herein.Thus, in examples in which software is employed, a device or circuitry(e.g., the processor 70 in one example) executing the software forms thestructure associated with such means.

In FIG. 4, the indicator support handler 84 is illustrated in dashedlines and the temporary stored information indicator responder 80 isillustrated in alternate dashes and dots in order to distinguish that,when the apparatus is embodied at the legacy RAT node 55, the apparatusmay include only the temporary stored information indicator responder80, but when the apparatus is embodied at one or more of the eNBs, theapparatus may include only the indicator support handler 84.

The temporary stored information indicator responder 80, which may beembodied at the legacy RAT node 55, may be configured to receive atemporary stored information indicator from the UE 50 and determinewhether to provide non-temporary information (e.g., the completeneighbor cell list) to replace the temporary information whose storageat the UE 50 is reported by the temporary stored information indicatorand/or the network may decide whether to trigger the UE 50 to move intoCELL_DCH state or CELL_FACH state during a RRC connection establishmentprocedure based on the status of temporary stored information indicator.In some embodiments, the indicator support handler 84, which may beembodied at one or more of the eNBs 52 and 53, may be further configuredto provide an indication of support for the temporary stored informationindicator to the UE 50. Accordingly, the network may be enabled toinform the UE 50 that the network supports the replacement of temporarystored information (e.g., a temporary neighbor cell list) withnon-temporary information (e.g., a complete neighbor cell list) so thatthe UE 50 may know in advance whether to send the temporary storedinformation indicator under appropriate circumstances. In someembodiments, various conditional parameters may be associated with thetemporary stored information indicator. For example, while in some casesthe temporary stored information indicator may simply indicate that theUE 50 stores a system information container (e.g., temporaryinformation), in other cases, the temporary stored information indicatormay further indicate that some particular event has or has not occurred(e.g., that the UE 50 has not yet acquired SIB11, 11 bis, or 12 from theserving cell while at least one of them is scheduled on the targetcell). The indication of support may be embodied as a new or previouslyexisting information element. In other words, an existing flag, messageportion or bit may be employed as the indication of support in somecases, while a new flag, message portion or bit may be created for useas the indication of support in others. Regardless of how the indicationof support and the temporary stored information indicator are actuallyembodied, the temporary stored information indicator responder 80 may beconfigured to detect the temporary stored information indicator andrespond accordingly and the indicator support handler 84 may beconfigured to generate the indication of support.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram view of one example of a terminal sideapparatus configured to perform example embodiments of the presentinvention. In this regard, for example, an apparatus for employing anindication of stored temporary information during redirection accordingto an example embodiment of the present invention from the mobileterminal 10 or UE 50 perspective may include or otherwise be incommunication with a processor 70′, a user interface 72, a communicationinterface 74′ and a memory device 76′. The processor 70′, thecommunication interface 74′ and the memory device 76′ may besubstantially similar in function and basic structure (with perhapssemantic and/or scale differences in some cases) to the descriptionsprovided above for the processor 70, the communication interface 74 andthe memory device 76 of the network side apparatus. Thus, descriptionsof these components will not be repeated.

The user interface 72 may be in communication with the processor 70′ toreceive an indication of a user input at the user interface 72 and/or toprovide an audible, visual, mechanical or other output to the user. Assuch, the user interface 72 may include, for example, a keyboard, amouse, a joystick, a display, a touch screen, soft keys, a microphone, aspeaker, or other input/output mechanisms. In some examples, theprocessor 70′ may comprise user interface circuitry configured tocontrol at least some functions of one or more elements of the userinterface, such as, for example, a speaker, ringer, microphone, display,and/or the like. The processor 70′ and/or user interface circuitrycomprising the processor 70′ may be configured to control one or morefunctions of one or more elements of the user interface through computerprogram instructions (e.g., software and/or firmware) stored on a memoryaccessible to the processor 70′ (e.g., memory device 76′, and/or thelike).

In an example embodiment, the processor 70′ may be embodied as, includeor otherwise control a temporary stored information indicator generator82. As such, in some embodiments, the processor 70′ may be said tocause, direct or control the execution or occurrence of the variousfunctions attributed to the temporary stored information indicatorgenerator 82 as described herein. The temporary stored informationindicator generator 82 may be any means such as a device or circuitryoperating in accordance with software or otherwise embodied in hardwareor a combination of hardware and software (e.g., processor 70 operatingunder software control, the processor 70′ embodied as an ASIC or FPGAspecifically configured to perform the operations described herein, or acombination thereof) thereby configuring the device or circuitry toperform the corresponding functions of the temporary stored informationindicator generator 82 as described herein. Thus, in examples in whichsoftware is employed, a device or circuitry (e.g., the processor 70′ inone example) executing the software forms the structure associated withsuch means.

The temporary stored information indicator generator 82 may beconfigured to provide a temporary stored information indicator from theUE 50 to the temporary stored information indicator responder 80. Insome embodiments, the temporary stored information indicator generator82 may be configured to include the temporary stored informationindicator in a uplink RRC message (e.g. RRC connection setup completemessage or RRC connection request message) or otherwise as an indicationthat the UE 50 stores temporary information. In some embodiments, thetemporary stored information indicator generator 82 may be furtherconfigured to provide the temporary stored information indicator inresponse to receipt of an indication of support for the temporary storedinformation indicator from the indicator support handler 84. In someembodiments, various conditional parameters may be associated with thetemporary stored information indicator. For example, while in some casesthe temporary stored information indicator may simply indicate that theUE 50 stores a system information container (e.g., temporaryinformation), in other cases, the temporary stored information indicatormay further indicate that some particular event has or has not occurred(e.g., that the UE 50 has not yet acquired SIB11, 11 bis, or 12 from theserving cell while at least one of them is scheduled on the targetcell). The temporary stored information indicator may be embodied as anew or previously existing information element. In other words, anexisting flag or bit may be employed as the temporary stored informationindicator in some cases, while a new flag or bit may be created for useas the temporary stored information indicator in others. Regardless ofhow the temporary stored information indicator is actually embodied, thetemporary stored information indicator generator 82 may be configured togenerate the temporary stored information indicator appropriately.

FIG. 6 is a basic flow diagram illustrating an example embodiment of thepresent invention that is flexible and modifiable to create severaldifferent implementation examples as described below. In this regard, asshown in FIG. 6, the E-UTRAN may send an RRC CONNECTION RELEASE messagewith a system information container for target cells at operation 100.The UE may then store the SIBS given by the system information containerwhen the UE is camped on the target cell at operation 110. The UE maysend an RRC CONNECTION request at operation 120. At operation 130, theUE may receive an RRC CONNECTION SETUP message from the network. The UEmay then send an RRC CONNECTION SETUP COMPLETE message back to thenetwork at operation 140. At operation 150, the network may provide acomplete intra-frequency measurement neighbor cell list to the UE via aMEASUREMENT CONTROL message. Various example perturbations of the basicflow will now be described to illustrate some example embodiments.

In a first example, operation 120 may be modified such that the RRCCONNECTION REQUEST may be generated to include the temporary storedinformation indicator (e.g., a system information container storedindicator/SI container stored indicator) indicating that the UE storestemporary information. In such example, operation 150 may be executed inresponse to the network receiving the temporary stored informationindicator or operation 140 may be executed with an RRC state indicator,which may be set based on the status of the temporary stored informationindicator.

In a first example, operation 140 may be modified such that the RRCCONNECTION SETUP COMPLETE may be generated to include the temporarystored information indicator (e.g., a system information containerstored indicator) indicating that the UE stores temporary information.In such example, operation 150 may be executed in response to thenetwork receiving the temporary stored information indicator.

In a second example, the RRC CONNECTION RELEASE message of operation 100may include the indication of support if the target radio networkcontroller (RNC) allows the UE to send the temporary stored informationindicator (and does not include the temporary stored informationindicator otherwise). The above described modifications from the firstexample may then be applicable, but with a conditional requirement inoperation 140 that the indication of support is received by the UE.

In a third example, operation 140 may be modified such that the RRCCONNECTION SETUP COMPLETE may be generated subject to a conditionalrequirement that the temporary stored information indicator (e.g., asystem information container stored indicator) is included if the UEstores the system information container and the UE has not yet not yetacquired SIB11, 11 bis, or 12 from the serving cell while at least oneof them is scheduled on the target cell. In such example, operation 150may be executed in response to the network receiving the temporarystored information indicator.

In a fourth example, the RRC CONNECTION RELEASE message of operation 100may include the indication of support if the target radio networkcontroller (RNC) allows the UE to send the temporary stored informationindicator (and does not include the temporary stored informationindicator otherwise). The above described modifications from the thirdexample may then be applicable, but with a conditional requirement inoperation 140 that the indication of support is received by the UE.

As indicated above, the temporary stored information indicator and theindication of support may each be an existing flag or informationelement or may be some newly created flag or information element. Thus,for example, the temporary stored information indicator could be a newelement such as a “SI container stored indicator” or may be an existingelement such as a “deferred measurement control reading”. As anotherexample, the indication of support may be a “SI container storedindicator NW support” indicator or a “deferred measurement control UTRANsupport” indicator in the SIB3. In some alternatives, combinations ofexisting and new elements may be employed.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide for arobust and flexible mechanism by which to provide for bandwidth savingsassociated with use of a temporary neighbor cell list (e.g., a subset ofa full neighbor cell list) for the redirection procedure so that RIM anddeferred measurement features need not be employed. Embodiments may alsoprovide for reduction in the size of the RRC CONNECTION RELEASE messagesince it will typically not need to include a complete neighbor celllist.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts of a method and program product accordingto example embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that eachblock of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts,may be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware,processor, circuitry and/or other device associated with execution ofsoftware including one or more computer program instructions. Forexample, one or more of the procedures described above may be embodiedby computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer programinstructions which embody the procedures described above may be storedby a memory device of the mobile terminal or network device and executedby a processor in the mobile terminal or network device. As will beappreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto acomputer or other programmable apparatus (e.g., hardware) to produce amachine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer orother programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functionsspecified in the flowcharts block(s). These computer programinstructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that maydirect a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in aparticular manner, such that the instructions stored in thecomputer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture includinginstruction means which implement the function specified in theflowcharts block(s). The computer program instructions may also beloaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a seriesof operations to be performed on the computer or other programmableapparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that theinstructions which execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus implement the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s).

Accordingly, blocks of the flowcharts support combinations of means forperforming the specified functions, combinations of operations forperforming the specified functions and program instruction means forperforming the specified functions. It will also be understood that oneor more blocks of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in theflowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedcomputer systems which perform the specified functions, or combinationsof special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

In this regard, a method according to one embodiment from the networkside perspective, as shown in FIG. 7, may include receiving a temporarystored information indicator from a mobile terminal indicating that themobile terminal stores a system information container comprisingtemporary information at operation 210. The method may further includedetermining whether to replace the temporary information withnon-temporary information and/or the network may decide whether totrigger UE to move into CELL_DCH state or CELL_FACH state during a RRCconnection establishment procedure based on reception of the temporarystored information indicator at operation 220. In an example embodiment,an optional initial operation may be included at operation 200, whichmay include providing an indication of support for the temporary storedinformation indicator to the mobile terminal. In an example embodiment,operations 210 and 220 may be performed at the network side by a legacyRAT node (e.g., legacy RAT node 55), while operation 200 may beperformed by an eNB (e.g., eNB 52 or eNB 53).

In some embodiments, certain ones of the operations above may bemodified or further amplified as described below. It should beappreciated that each of the modifications or amplifications below maybe included with the operations above either alone or in combinationwith any others among the features described herein. In this regard, forexample, the temporary stored information indicator may be a new orexisting flag or information element. Similarly, the indication ofsupport may be a new or existing flag or information element. In somecases, the temporary information may be a temporary neighbor cell listthat is a subset of a complete neighbor cell list. The non-temporaryinformation may therefore be the complete neighbor cell list. In somecases, receiving the temporary stored information indicator may includereceiving an indication that a conditional requirement with respect toconnection to a target cell is met.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for performing the method of FIG.7 above may comprise a processor (e.g., the processor 70) configured toperform some or each of the operations (200-220) described above. Theprocessor may, for example, be configured to perform the operations(200-220) by performing hardware implemented logical functions,executing stored instructions, or executing algorithms for performingeach of the operations. Alternatively, the apparatus may comprise meansfor performing each of the operations described above. In this regard,according to an example embodiment, examples of means for performingoperations 200-220 may comprise, for example, the processor 70, thetemporary stored information indicator 80, the indicator support handler84, and/or a device or circuit for executing instructions or executingan algorithm for processing information as described above.

An alternative method according to one embodiment from the terminalperspective, as shown in FIG. 8, may include receiving a systeminformation container for at least one target cell at operation 300. Themethod may further include storing the system information container atoperation 310. The method may further include generating a temporarystored information indicator at a mobile terminal indicating that themobile terminal stores the system information container comprisingtemporary information at operation 320.

In some embodiments, certain ones of the operations above may bemodified or further amplified as described below. It should beappreciated that each of the modifications or amplifications below maybe included with the operations above either alone or in combinationwith any others among the features described herein. In this regard, forexample, receiving the system information container may include furtherreceiving an indication of support for the temporary stored informationindicator. In some embodiments, the temporary stored informationindicator may be a new or existing flag or information element.Similarly, the indication of support may be a new or existing flag orinformation element. In some cases, the temporary information may be atemporary neighbor cell list that is a subset of a complete neighborcell list. The non-temporary information may therefore be the completeneighbor cell list. In some cases, generating the temporary storedinformation indicator may include generating the indicator indicatingthat a conditional requirement with respect to connection to a targetcell is met. In some embodiments, generating the temporary storedinformation indicator may be performed responsive to receipt of theindication of support.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for performing the method of FIG.8 above may comprise a processor (e.g., the processor 70′) configured toperform some or each of the operations (300-320) described above. Theprocessor may, for example, be configured to perform the operations(300-320) by performing hardware implemented logical functions,executing stored instructions, or executing algorithms for performingeach of the operations. Alternatively, the apparatus may comprise meansfor performing each of the operations described above. In this regard,according to an example embodiment, examples of means for performingoperations 300-320 may comprise, for example, the processor 70′, thetemporary stored information generator 82, and/or a device or circuitfor executing instructions or executing an algorithm for processinginformation as described above.

An example of an apparatus according to an example embodiment mayinclude at least one processor and at least one memory includingcomputer program code. The at least one memory and the computer programcode may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause theapparatus to perform the operations 200-220 (with or without themodifications and amplifications described above in any combination).

An example of a computer program product according to an exampleembodiment may include at least one computer-readable storage mediumhaving computer-executable program code portions stored therein. Thecomputer-executable program code portions may include program codeinstructions for performing operation 200-220 (with or without themodifications and amplifications described above in any combination).

An example of an apparatus according to another example embodiment mayinclude at least one processor and at least one memory includingcomputer program code. The at least one memory and the computer programcode may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause theapparatus to perform the operations 300-320 (with or without themodifications and amplifications described above in any combination).

An example of a computer program product according to another exampleembodiment may include at least one computer-readable storage mediumhaving computer-executable program code portions stored therein. Thecomputer-executable program code portions may include program codeinstructions for performing operation 300-320 (with or without themodifications and amplifications described above in any combination).

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain examplecombinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated thatdifferent combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided byalternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elementsand/or functions than those explicitly described above are alsocontemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

1-64. (canceled)
 65. A method comprising: receiving a system informationcontainer for at least one target cell; causing storage of the systeminformation container; and generating a temporary stored informationindicator at a mobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminalstores the system information container comprising temporaryinformation.
 66. The method of claim 66, wherein receiving the systeminformation container comprises receiving an indication of support forthe temporary stored information indicator.
 67. The method of claim 65,wherein the temporary stored information indicator comprises a newinformation element or an existing information element.
 68. The methodof claim 65, wherein the indication of support comprises a newinformation element or an existing information element.
 69. The methodof claim 65, wherein the temporary information comprises a temporaryneighbor cell list that is a subset of a complete neighbor cell list.70. The method of claim 65, wherein the non-temporary informationcomprises a complete neighbor cell list.
 71. The method of claim 65,wherein generating the temporary stored information indicator comprisesgenerating the indicator indicating that a conditional requirement withrespect to connection to a target cell is met.
 72. The method of claim65, wherein generating the temporary stored information indicator isperformed responsive to receipt of the indication of support.
 73. Anapparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memoryincluding computer program code, the at least one memory and thecomputer program code configured to, with the at least one processor,cause the apparatus at least to: receive a system information containerfor at least one target cell; cause storage of the system informationcontainer; and generate a temporary stored information indicator at amobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminal stores the systeminformation container comprising temporary information.
 74. Theapparatus of claim 73, wherein the at least one memory and the computerprogram code are further configured to, with the at least one processor,cause the apparatus to receive the system information container byreceiving an indication of support for the temporary stored informationindicator.
 75. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein the temporary storedinformation indicator comprises a new information element or an existinginformation element.
 76. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein theindication of support comprises a new information element or an existinginformation element.
 77. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein thetemporary information comprises a temporary neighbor cell list that is asubset of a complete neighbor cell list.
 78. The apparatus of claim 73,wherein the non-temporary information comprises a complete neighbor celllist.
 79. The apparatus claim 73, wherein the at least one memory andthe computer program code are configured to, with the at least oneprocessor, cause the apparatus to generate the temporary storedinformation indicator by generating the indicator indicating that aconditional requirement with respect to connection to a target cell ismet.
 80. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein the at least one memory andthe computer program code are further configured to, with the at leastone processor, cause the apparatus to generate the temporary storedinformation indicator responsive to receipt of the indication ofsupport.
 81. A computer program product comprising at least onecomputer-readable storage medium bearing computer program code embodiedtherein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprisingcode for: receiving a system information container for at least onetarget cell; causing storage of the system information container; andgenerating a temporary stored information indicator at a mobile terminalindicating that the mobile terminal stores the system informationcontainer comprising temporary information.
 82. The computer programproduct of claim 81, wherein code for receiving the system informationcontainer includes code for receiving an indication of support for thetemporary stored information indicator.
 83. The computer program productof claim 81, wherein the temporary stored information indicatorcomprises a new information element or an existing information element.84. The computer program product of claim 81, wherein the indication ofsupport comprises a new information element or an existing informationelement.